Christ Church Sowerby Bridge was delighted to welcome Steeton Male Voice Choir back on Saturday 19th September for a wonderful evening of music, marking another special occasion in our celebrations of 500 years of Christian presence in Sowerby Bridge.
The concert marked the choir's second visit to Christ Church, having previously performed here in 2022. Their return was warmly welcomed, with an entertaining and varied programme featuring everything from traditional choral favourites to well-known songs from stage and screen.
Under the musical direction of Cathy Sweet, accompanied by Elaine Dave, the choir opened with the lively Sing, Sing, Sing, followed by favourites including Always on My Mind, Skyfall and Speed Your Journey from Verdi's Nabucco.
The evening continued with a wonderful mixture of music, including Billy Joel's The Longest Time, Mr Blue Sky, Chattanooga Choo Choo and American Trilogy. The audience was also treated to some excellent solo performances, including Misty, Empty Chairs at Empty Tables, Panis Angelicus and Perhaps Love.
The concert concluded with popular favourites including Coldplay's Fix You, a medley from Les Misérables and Queen's Somebody to Love.
A very special homecoming – 70 years of singing
One of the most memorable stories of the evening involved choir member John Dowlan, who is celebrating an incredible 70 years of singing.
John's musical journey began as a young boy in the choir at Christ Church Sowerby Bridge, making his return to the church particularly special.
And it turns out that John left more than just musical memories behind!
As a youngster, he quite literally left his mark on the building by engraving his name into one of the wooden choir stalls – a little piece of history that remains part of the church to this day.
Seven decades later, John returned to the very church where his singing journey began, this time as a member of Steeton Male Voice Choir. He also treated the audience to a solo performance of After All These Years, a particularly fitting song for someone celebrating such a remarkable musical milestone.
It was a lovely reminder of the generations of people who have contributed to the musical life of Christ Church and the lasting connections that our church continues to hold within the community.
A warm welcome and a memorable return
The Chairman of Steeton Male Voice Choir, Rhys North, who also performed a solo during the evening as part of All My Loving by The Beatles, expressed how much the choir had enjoyed returning to Christ Church.
Rhys thanked the church for its warm welcome and hospitality, and spoke about how lovely the church building was and what a pleasure it had been to perform here once again.
His appreciation reflected the wonderful relationship between the choir and Christ Church, and we very much hope that this will not be their last visit.
Celebrating 500 years of faith and community
The concert formed part of our year-long programme of events celebrating 500 years of Christian presence in Sowerby Bridge, bringing people together through music, history, faith and community.
We would like to extend our sincere thanks to Musical Director Cathy Sweet, accompanist Elaine Dave, Chairman Rhys North and every member of Steeton Male Voice Choir for sharing their talents with us and providing such an enjoyable evening.
Our thanks also go to everyone who helped organise the concert, welcomed visitors and supported the event, and of course to everyone who came along.
It was a wonderful evening of music, friendship and shared history, and we look forward to welcoming Steeton Male Voice Choir back to Christ Church again in the future!